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151 of 164 found the following review helpful:
 Vince Flynn is a total master of the political thrillerSep 10, 2005
By Jerry Saperstein
I've recently discovered Vince Flynn and his Mitch Rapp character. This is my third Mitch Rapp novel and my conclusion is that Vince Flynn is the leader of the pack when it comes to political thrillers. He has no close competition.
Mitch Rapp is a member of the Orion Team, a super-secret group with deniable connections to the CIA, White House and Congress. It's purpose is to eliminate terrorist threats to the United States without regard for anything but the danger they represent. Mitch Rapp is an "ordinary" guy, dedicated to extinguishing the terrorist threat without the messiness or hindrance of law. Find 'em, kill 'em and move on to the next one. Rapp is without a doubt the coolest super-hero to come down the pike in a long time. He has the freshness of the first incarnation of Clancy's Jack Ryan, the inventiveness of Clive Cussler's heroes and the philosophical bent of Barry Eisler's John Rain, who is the closest to Flynn's Mitch Rapp.
Flynn's take on politicians is devestating. He beautifully skewers the Democrats and their "peace at any price" acolytes. He sets up Robert Hayes as a "centrist" Democratic President. Hayes resembles no Democratic President of the past century. He is a reasonable, intelligent man without a radical political agenda. Surrounding him, however, are the products of Flynn's literary - and I do mean literary - genius. Venal, greedy, ignorant men and women of his party who put their own selfish interests far ahead of the nation; people who would prefer to live under the heel of the enemies of freedom rather than resist.
In "Transfer of Power," the chair of the Democratic National Committee has accepted a $500,000 "donation" in return for arranging a last-minute meeting between the donor, supposedly a Prince of Oman, and the President. President Hayes' chief of staff doesn't bother with the Secret Service security rules. After all, it is a donation of $500,000.
As the "Prince" is about to murder the President in the Oval Office, the Secret Service receives a call from Mitch Rapp who has just abducted a top Hezbollah leader in Iran. Under intensive interrogation, Rapp has learned that the White House is to be the target of a terrorist attack this very day. The President is saved for the moment with only seconds to spare. The "Prince," really a ruthless terrorist Rapp has been tracking for years, then proceeds to take over the White House. The attack relies heavily on information gleaned from another Democrat.
Almost a hundred hostages are taken. The Vice President assumes exeuctive power while the President is trapped incommuicado in a White House bunker. The White House is in control of the terrorists, its perimeter ringed with explosives. The terrorist leader makes a demand: release the Iranian billions siezed during the Carter-era hostage crisis or he will murder one hostage per hour. Transfer the money and he will let some hostages go.
The Vice President, a cowardly, but ambitious politician, takes counsel of his Attorney General, a woman with a preference for appeasement.
Quickly the situation deteriorates. Mitch Rapp is asked to get into the White House to reconnoiter. He does this with the help of Milt Adams, a retired Secret Service agent who knows more about the design of the White House then any living person. Rapp takes Adams with him, an unlikely, but ultimately highly effective pairing.
Flynn's plotting is an absolute delight. Everything flows smoothly from one tense moment to another. His characters are totally believable. Some, especially the weasly politicians, strongly resemble people we all have read about or seen on television. Rapp, the ordinary guy as super-hero, is exquisitely crafted and totally believable. The military personnel, the CIA directors, the Chiefs of Staff, the terrorists - every character is sharply drawn.
Much to his credit, Flynn manages to introduce a "romantic" element into this novel. I will not ruin the moment by describing how: it is simply to rich to have any of the surprise taken from it.
The action is non-stop. The climax is a complex ballet of brutal action.
Flynn is today's master of the political thriller. Clancy at his very best in "The Hunt For Red October" was terrific: but Flynn is better and he has been able to hold the Mitch Rapp character intact over a number of novels which Clancy was unable to do with Jack Ryan. In my opinion, every other political thriller novelist pales before Flynn. He is the master and of the three Mitch Rapp novels I've read to date, this is his best.
Jerry
66 of 70 found the following review helpful:
Excellent!Mar 13, 2003
By Drak
"gusgus88"
I picked this book up because the title sounded interesting. I have never read a book by Flynn before so I wasn't sure what to expect. I read this book in two days. I simply couldn't put it down. Rapp was a very entertaining character to read about. And with the current situation with Iraq and religious extremists the book seemed even more real. The book was very suspenseful and left you wanting more when it was over. I look forward to reading other Flynn novels.
35 of 36 found the following review helpful:
Want to lose yourself in a fast moving suspense filled mystery?Dec 23, 2011
By BarbZ
This is your chance.... I discovered Vince Flynn two years ago by accident. I read almost all of his books in quick succession. I've never seen one offered for free.
If you are interested in a great read, pure escapism, tension and suspense.... grab this.
All of Flynn's books deliver.... be prepared to not be able to put it down.
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
38 of 40 found the following review helpful:
 Excellent BookAug 25, 1999
I don't know what the "official" critics have against Mr. Flynn. The only thing I can think of is they are not reading the same books I am. I will admit that there are flaws within the book. But I would challenge those critics to try to fill almost 400 pages without having some flaws in your work.I read Flynn's first book Term Limits just a few days ago. After reading it, I immediately went out and bought Transfer of Power. I found Transfer of Power to be just as entertaining as Flynn's first novel. In my opinion, both books have been well researched. The operations of the military's special forces units and also domestic law enforcement seem extremely realistic. I believe this is evidence that Flynn has really put time into researching the operations of these groups. The characters in this book are all interesting and realistic. Just like his first book, the good v. evil plot makes the pages just fly by. The only criticism I have of the book is that the ending came a little fast. Other than that, it was an excellent book and I can not wait for Flynn's next book to hit the shelves. Critics, open your eyes. Flynn is the real deal. I'm aware that you get paid to criticize the work of other people, but you need to find someone else to pick on. Flynn is not your man.
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
Top of the Heap!!Jul 12, 1999
By Tom Ross
I was very impressed after reading Vince Flynn's first novel "Term Limits". I immediately purchased and read "Transfer of Power" when it became available. This one even surpassed the first novel in everything you like to read in this type of story. Hard to put down and go to sleep, you want to keep reading all night if necessary. Action is outstanding, relevant to the times and believable. The characters cover the whole scope of the good, the bad and the ugly and each one is done in magnificent style. His understanding of and the use of various types of military/civilian special ops units is excellent, coupled with the many times they are handcuffed by politics and behind the scenes manuevering of those in power, who are more worried about their press reviews than the final outcome of the crisis, makes for reading you feel a part of. Vince Flynn has rapidly gone to the top of my list of authors for whom I eagerly await the next book to be published. I hope that there are many more to come, and soon!!
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